New election precinct created in Edgewood [50 years ago]

As taken from the pages of The Aegis dated Thursday, May 23, 1963:

The Board of Election Supervisors created a new election precinct, warranted by construction of Joppatowne and the growth in the Edgewood area. The new precinct known as Edgewood would have its northern boundary on Route 40 and stretch from the Baltimore County line east to Winters Run, Otter Point Creek and Bush River. The new precinct included Joppatowne, Magnolia, Edgewood and Willoughby Beach.

Armed Forces Day was celebrated at the Aberdeen Proving Ground when more than 30,000 persons visited the military installation. The day began with a demonstration by the Maryland Air National Guard, followed by a showing of jet attack planes. The Army also displayed various modern vehicles as well as World War I and museum pieces. The most interesting part of the show was the firing of weapons from mounted vehicles, tanks and the ground.

A tractor trailer filled with 1,148 cases of Budweiser had been hi-jacked from in front of a diner on Route 40 in Edgewood. The trucker, who had stopped to get a cup of coffee, called police when he noticed that his truck was taken. While the trucker was being questioned by the State Police, a call came in concerning a large truck that was blocking a roadway. The missing truck was discovered on Route 7 near Clayton Road, where it had jack-knifed when its driver jumped from the cab. The high-jacker had trouble operating the gears and decided to abandon the truck.

A sudden storm of high wind and driving rains hit the town of Bel Air. The storm, which only lasted five minutes, was most severe in an area between Pennsylvania Avenue, Broadway, Williams Street and Hickory Avenue. Electricity was cut off for 7,600 customers for less than an hour when a high tension feeder was knocked out in the Forest Hill area. Wires came down in several parts of Bel Air. Traffic on Main and Gordon streets and Pennsylvania Avenue in Bel Air were completely blocked by fallen trees.

Ground was broken on the new Edgewood library at Hanson and Edgewood roads. Sen. William S. James made a few remarks at the ceremony. The $56,200 building was designed by architects Alex Shaw and Lawrence Ewald.

Eight female employees of the Commercial and Savings Bank on Main Street in Bel Air became mysteriously ill. Two of the women were hospitalized and found to have something organically wrong with them, caused by food or virus. Most of the bank employees complained of becoming very woozy, short of breath and not able to use their arms and legs normally. An initial investigation by a team of experts produced no evidence of the cause, and no toxic substance was found.

Mrs. Simon Getz and her sons, Payson and Marvin Getz, had retained an architect to design an office and professional building at the corner of Lee and Main streets in Bel Air. The building would measure 40-by-80 feet and be completely air conditioned. It will be a one story building with a colonial design. The present store on the property, formerly occupied by the Ideal Market, will be razed.

Jim Gentile, Baltimore Oriole first baseman and home run king, appeared at the Bel Air Hardware store. He was greeted by Bel Air's mayor, Werner Buchal; Henry Schildhauer, representative of John W. Masury & Son Inc., paint manufacturers; Mr. and Mrs. John Archer, of Bel Air Hardware; and lots of the Little Leaguers. Gentile autographed everything from teddy bears and sneakers to jackets and paint caps.